Uranium is a type of atom. In special circumstances that usually involve high amounts of energy, uranium can be broken. When this occurs, different pieces of the original atom remain, including a substance called plutonium.Which statement most likely describes plutonium?
Answer
A
It will still be uranium, just smaller pieces of uranium.
B
It must no longer be a form of matter.
C
It must be a different kind of atom.
D
It will be different than, but have the same properties as, uranium.
Explanation
An atom’s identity is determined by its number of protons. Plutonium has a different number of protons from uranium, so it is a different kind of atom, not simply smaller uranium. It is still matter, but it does not have the same properties as uranium.
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